Memory of a Memory
by Ethan Ricks
Summary: What happened to Church before, during, and after he entered the Epsilon Unit to find Tex? One-shot for now, but if it gets a good enough response I'll continue and write season 9. Rated T for two f-bombs.


"You know what Delta always said right?"

"Memory is the key…"

"If I don't come back then, you're in charge of remembering me OK? Don't let Tucker help. He'll just, fuck it up somehow. Bye buddy".

These were the last words Church, or Epsilon, said to his unofficial best friend Caboose. As Church left his robotic body he took one last glance at the people he was with over the years. Grif, the lazy orange one who reminded Church of himself. Donut, the lightesh-red recruit from Red Team, who had some weird problems. Sarge, the Red Team's commanding officer who hated Grif with a passion. There was Simmons, the kiss-ass of the Red Team who was second in command just because Sarge hated Grif.

He saw Lavernius Tucker, the pervert of Blue Team who was probably black. Even though he was a pervert who said "bow chicka bow wow" too much, he was actually a capable fighter, especially with that sword of his. He looked at the injured Wash, who was walking with a heavy limp. He took a quick glance at Caboose, with tears coming out of his comrade's eyes, but with a faint smile. Epsilon realized that even though he had spent the last weeks with these idiots, this was the first and only time he saw one of the idiots' faces. Church gave Caboose a quick wave and entered the Epsilon unit, the one thing that was keeping him away from his girlfriend Tex.

_I'd like to say that I found her right way. I just walked in and there she was waiting for me. As you can probably guess it didn't happen that way, but I know she's in here somewhere. I'll find her. We always seem to find each other, for better for worse._

As Epsilon was being pulled through the memory unit he saw memories of himself and the Alpha, which helped since he _was _the memory unit of the Alpha. He was watching his life unfold in reverse. He saw their last fight with the Meta, the EMP that wiped out the rest of the AI, Wash and Caboose finding him after fourteen months of peace and quiet. He saw the ship with Andy, Tex and Sheila. Church remembered the time he spent waiting for Gary to send him back in time, just to see everything unfold as it originally did _because _of the Alpha.

Then he found it.

* * *

_I don't know why the Director did what he did. I don't know if he was trying to revive a memory of his past or if he was just trying to get it out of his head. But I figured out something the Director didn't. It took Alpha, Delta, and all the rest to piece it together for me, but what I learned is that a great love is a lot like a good memory. When it's there, and you know it's there, but it's just out of your reach, you can focus on it and try to force it. But the more you do, the more you seem to push it away. But if you're patient and you hold still, maybe, just maybe, it'll come to you. I just need to be somewhere she could find me._

Church opened his eyes, sitting in the shade of his base. He looked at the rifle in his hands, turned to his base, and looked at his location. It was Blood Gulch. Sure it looked different from what he remembered, but he had a chance to get Tex and get out. Church knew that these weren't the people he knew outside in the real world, but they would have to do. For all he knew they could actually become his friends this time, instead of just being people that annoyed the living fuck out of him.

Church couldn't help but shed a tear. He was back in Blood Gulch, with the closest things he had to friends. He saw Tucker, with his greenish armor. Tucker was yelling something about the Reds getting a new vehicle, but Church wasn't listening. He saw Caboose, yelling something about wanting Church to look at his new drawing or something, but he wasn't listening. Church yelled something back at them, but he didn't even know what he said. All he had to do now was follow his memories and he should find Tex. He doubted that the Unit would still be open by then, hell it was probably already closed, but it just meant more time reliving his memories.

_And I mean hell. If you have to live the rest of your life in a memory, you might as well make it a good one. _


End file.
